Rail-joint.



Patented July II, 1899. J. E. SMITH. RAIL JOINT.

Application filed Oct. 5, 1898.)

a Sheets-Sheet I.

'(No Model.)

No. 628,555 Patented .l'uly u, I899; V

.1. E. SMITH. RAIL JOINT.

' Mien fled Oct. 5

he 1 (N01 miu1 2 sheets-sham 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IAooE E. SMITH, or HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,555, dated July 11,1899. Application filed Octoberfi, 1898. fierialllo. 692,747. (NOmEaBIJTo all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I," JACOB E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and eifectivejoint for firmly uniting the meeting ends of railroad-rails and beams orjoists used for structural purposes to prevent independent movement orvibration thereof. 1

The invention embodies a construction and arrangement ofparts thatgreatly increases the efficiency and despatch in which therails or beamsare united and'forms' a solid bearing therefor without requiring a rest,brace, or other additional support.

The invention has in view the further object of reducing or dividing thespace usually left between the ends of the rails or beams to permit ofthe expansion and contraction and includes the placing of a copper plateto in sure a proper bond between rails when adapted for electricalrailways.

To the above ends and to such others as the invention may pertain thesame consists of parallel segments or side pieces connected by atransverse web or short rail-section positioned in use between the endsof the rails or beams, the said segments being interlocked with asegment and fiange'on a shoe, which forms a chair or binding-plate, andthe rails prevented from creeping by means of lateral projections ormovable pins which engage recesses therefor in the segments.

The invention further consists in certain details of construction andcombination of parts, as f ullydescribed in the following specificationand more specifically set forth in the appended claims,

In the accompanylng drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a joint constructed in accordance withmy invention, showing its application to railroad-rails. Fig. 2 is asimilar View look- .the other part of the joint.

ing at the other side of the joint. Fig. 3155. detail perspective viewof one part of the joint. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of ticalsectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

My invention or improvement consists, practically,of two parts,whichfirmly embrace the adjoining ends of the rails and interlock with eachother to provide a strong rigid connection, the said parts being shapedin a pcculi'ar manner for this purpose.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A and A designate therails, and B a short rail-section adapted to fit between the adjoiningends of said rails, the body I) of the short rail-section being extendedlongitudinally to form shoulders I) b at opposite sides of the head 12and upon these shoulders rest the head or tread portion of the rails AA,

; the body and base-flange of each rail being cut away at its end forthis purpose.

The short rail-section B is formed integrally with and connects twosegments 0 and O,which are adapted to embrace opposite sides of therails A A, and are therefore shaped to receive said rails between them,with the tread portions bearing upon the upper edges thereof. The loweredge of the segment 0 terminates a short distance above the base-flangesof the rails, and said edge is provided with a longitudinal groove 0,while the end of the segment which adjoins the short rail section B hasa transverse groove e therein. The other segment 0, properly alocking-plate, bears upon the base-flanges of the rails and body andtread portion thereof, the said locking-plate having a longitudinalgroove 0 in its outer side, the base of which is beveled downward, whilethe rear and upper walls are a continuous curve. (Clearly shown in thesectional view, Fig. The other part of the joint comprises a base-plateor shoe D, carrying a segment D and locking-flange D which are formedintegrally therewith, the segment D. bearing against the body and treadportion of the rail A and also against the-baseiiange, which fits into alongitudinal groove at the inner side of said segment. This segment D isprovided at its lower end with an extended member at, forming,with theshoe, a longitudinal recess to receive the base- Fig. 5 is a verflangesof the rails A and B, the upper part of said extension being shaped tocorrespond with the lower edge of the segment (3, with which itis slidinto engagement in assembling the parts, and for this purpose has araised portion or spline d, fitting the groove 0. The said segment D isalso provided with a projection d extending transversely and adapted tointerlock with the segment by engaging the transverse recess 0 thereof.The locking-flange D is located at the opposite side of the rail fromthe segment D, extending vertically from the outer edge of thebaseflange and terminating in an inwardly-projecting head (i shaped tocorrespond with the groove 0 of the locking-plate C, with which it isslid into engagement. 7

The rails A and A are provided at their adjoining ends withlaterally-projecting pins (1. a, 'which engage shallow recesses in theparts of the joint and serve to prevent creeping-of the rails orexcessive longitudinal movement. Instead of having these pins carried bythe rails they may be and preferably are contained within recesses e inthe segments to slide into engagement with openings or recesses in therails. In this modification the pins are designated by the letter E andare held in engagement with the rails by a block e. The operation ofassembling the parts in making a joint in accordance with my inventionwill be readily apparent from what is shown and described herein, forafter fitting the part B O 0 upon the end of the rail A the part D D Dafter being slipped upon the end of the rail A to the required distancefrom the end thereof, is then slid into engagement with the part B O Ointerlocking therewith, so that both parts will firmly embrace the endsof the rails and present a web or center piece between them. It will benoted, therefore, that in applying the joint it is not necessary to movethe rails A and A longitudinally, but merely to move the end portionslaterally out of line sufficiently to permit the parts of the joint tohe slipped upon the rails. After making the joint as hereinbeforedescribed the two parts comprising the same are strongly connectedtogether by bent tierods F, which are passed up through openingstherefor in the segments 0 D and baseflanges of the rails, the rodshaving bent ends which engage a block f and are made taut by nuts f,screwed upon the ends thereof and bearing in recesses in the segments.

In connection with my improved joint I employ a copper plate G to form abond between the rails A and A, the said plate being shaped to be soapplied as to contact withthe rails A, A, and B between the overlappingtread portions of the former and shoulders of the latter, the sideportions of the plate being bent down to lie between the segments andrails. To this end the plate isprovided with a central opening receivingthe tread portion 11 and is cut away at its ends to' receive the websofthe main rails. This provides a conductor for the electric current whichis thoroughly protected and will insure a positive contact. 7

Though I have herein particularly described the joint as applied forconnecting railroadrails, it is obvious that it could be employed withequal effect in connecting beams, joists, or the like which are used forstructural purposes, for in both applications it forms a strongconnection and can be placed in position without requiring alongitudinal movement'of the rails or. beams. When applied as a jointfor railroad-rails, for which it is especially adapted, the center pieceor short rail-section divides the space between the rails which is leftfor expansion and contraction of said rails, and will therefore relieveto a great extent the jolting occasioned by the wheels passing over thejoint, and consequently remove the pounding to which the ends of therails are subjected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rail-joint, comprising parts which embrace the rails, the treadportions of the latter being extended at their adjoining ends,

and a short rail-section the web or body of which is extendedlongitudinally at each side of said web or head, substantially as shownand described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination-with the main rails having the treadportions thereof extended, a short rail-section having its web or bodyextended longitudinally at each side of the tread portion, and partsengaging the short rail-section and ends of the main rails,substantially as shown andv described.

3. In combination with a rail-jointcomprising the main rails havingprojecting tread portions, a short rail-section interposed between theends of the main rails and having shoulders upon which the projectionsof the tread portions bear, and parts engaging the short rail-sectionand ends of the main rails; of a plate fitting upon the shoulders of theshort rail-section, said plate having an opening through which the headof said section is passed, substantially as shown and for the purposeset forth.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination of the main rails and an interposedshort rail-section, shoulders forming bearings for the tread portions,means connecting the short rail-section and main rails, and a platelocated between the aforesaid shoulders, said plate having an openingthrough which the tread portion of the short rail-section is passed,substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

5. A rail-joint, comprising parts embracing the ends of the rails andinterlocked by sliding one into engagement with another, bent tie-rodspassing up through the parts, and a block for holding the tie-rods inplace by ensegment,base-plate and locking-flange, the segment of oneclosely fitting the segment of' the other while the locking-flangeengages the locking-plate; together with means preventing longitudinalmovement of the parts, substantially as shown and for the purpose setforth.

8. In a rail-joint, the combination of the short rail-section B, segment0 and lockingplate 0 formed integrally therewith, the segment bearingagainst the tread portion of the rail and terminating at its lower endabove the base-flange thereof while the locking-plate has a longitudinalgroove in its outer edge; together with the shoe D carrying a segment Dhaving an extension at its lower end which fits under the segment 0 andupon the basefiange of the rail, a locking-flange 1) also carried by theshoe and adapted to he slid into engagement with the locking-plate,andmeans holding the parts against longitudinal movement, substantially asshown and described.

9. A rail-joint, comprising two parts, one part consisting of a shortrail-section, segment and looking-plate, and the other part consistingof a segment, base-plate and lockingflange; one of the segments beingprovided with a transverse recess or opening through the same, a pinslidably mounted in the recess or opening, and means limiting themovement of the pin; together with means limiting the longitudinalmovement of the. parts of the joint, substantially as shown and for thepurpose set forth.

10. A rail-joint, comprising two parts, one part consisting of a shortrail section, segment and locking-plate, the segment terminating abovethe base-flange of the rail-section and having a transverse groove atits inner end; and the other part consisting of a segment, base-plateand locking-flange, the segment having an extension fitting under theother segment and a transverse projection fitting the groove at theinner end of said other segment; together with means preventinglongitudinal movement of the parts of the joint, substantially as shownand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I am); my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB E. SMITH.

Witnesses:

W. L. MoOoNEGLY, E. S. MoOoNEGLY.

